The Pact
by sasha272
Summary: During their second Christmas together, Rachel and Santana made a pact. 7 years later, Rachel gets a surprise visit from Santana who is ready to honor a deal she has no recollection of.
1. Surprise

A/N: Set 7 years after season 5, Rachel is on Broadway and Santana just came back from L.A after shooting a movie. She never married Brittany.

A/N 2: I've started writing this fic in June but since Rachel's birthday is in December, it quickly turned into a Christmas thing so I kept it for later.

Disclaimer: I don't own glee

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Surprise**

It was a cold night in December and Rachel was heading home after a long day of rehearsal for her new play. Her day had been awful and she couldn't wait to be back at her apartment and relax in a nice warm bath.

It was times like this, after a long day at work, that the diva really wished she didn't have to come home to an empty house. She had just turned 27 a couple days ago and except for her cat, she had no one to welcome her home. It sounded pathetic, and maybe it was but it wasn't like she hadn't tried dating.

After a while, the brunette realised Finn wasn't the right person for her and moved on. She had dated a few people since, yes people, as in men and women. She had discovered her attraction to women after her first Broadway play and after a moment of panic, she finally came to term with her bisexuality. Unfortunately, all her relationships went downhill at some point and she had been single for a while now.

Rachel finally reached her apartment and unlocked the door. She closed the door behind her before removing her coat, scarf, gloves and boots. When she heard her cat meow, she looked at her feet and smiled. "Hello, precious, did you miss your mommy?" She cooed before kneeling down and petting her.

The diva walked toward her kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine before going to the bathroom to run a bath. She soaked in her bath far almost an hour, relaxing her sore muscles before drying herself. She changed into a pair of short and a t-shirt and settled on her couch. She wasn't in the mood to cook which meant she had to order take-out.

* * *

The Jewish girl was making her way toward the kitchen to grab her take-out menus when she heard a knock at the door. She frowned, it was almost 7 and she wasn't expecting anyone tonight. She walked toward the door and opened it. In front of her was standing the last person she expected to see. "Santana?! What are you doing here?"

"Surprise, bitch! I bet you thought you'd seen the last of me!" Santana exclaimed with a smirk.

"What?" Rachel stared at the girl confused. She hadn't seen her in years and the first thing she had to say wasn't making any sense.

"Nothing, it's an old TV show quote." The Latina waved dismissively. "We'll have to work on your TV culture. Anyway, can I come in?"

The diva was too shocked to answer and just stepped to the side to let the girl in. She watched the Latina wheel her luggage inside as she tried to compose herself.

"Some fancy place you have here. I think it could actually work." The tan girl stated.

The brunette shook her head to focus back in the present. "I'm sorry, Santana but I'm really confused right now. I haven't seen you in years and you just show up on my doorstep with your luggage, it's… What are you doing here?"

The raven-haired girl removed her coat before looking at the diva. "Well future wifey, I'm just moving in like we planned. As you know, it was your birthday a few days ago, I couldn't come sooner but I thought about you, it counts right? Whatever, anyway it just means you are 27 now. I checked your Facebook and saw you're still single which is perfect because so am I."

"Okay…" Rachel trailed off, unsure where the girl was going with this conversation. "Could you explain why my age and relationship status suddenly matter to you? The last time we saw each other, we were partying in a bar and it was almost 6 years ago…"

Santana raised her eyebrow. "Seriously?" When Rachel didn't reply and only stared at her, she sighed. "We made a pact years ago and I'm here to honour it. Don't flatter yourself, it's not like I'm excited or anything, it's just that I always keep my word."

"Santana, I'm sorry but I'm really trying to understand what you're saying right now and despite my best efforts, it doesn't make any sense." The diva felt lost. Of course it was nice to see Santana again but the girl was here for a few minutes now and she still didn't know why. Did she say she was moving in? And a pact? What kind of pact would bring Santana back in her life? Nothing made sense.

"It's okay, we have the rest of our lives to figure this out." The Latina grabbed her luggage. "Do I put my stuff directly in your room or the guest room is okay for now?" She didn't wait for an answer and made her way toward the hallway.

The brunette hastily followed her. "What pact are you talking about? And you can't just move in like that and especially not in my room."

The raven-haired beauty completely ignored her and opened each door one after the other to find the guest room. "Well I'm not gonna crash on your couch while we figure our shit out, I'm not 18 anymore. So show me where the guest room is or I'll sleep in your room."

"Santana!" The petit girl grabbed the Latina's elbow to stop her. "You won't do anything until I fully understand the reason why you're here. So please, could you go back to the living room and explain."

"Fine!" Santana exclaimed as made her way back to the living room. "But god, I thought you were supposed to be the smart one here…"

"My level of intelligence has nothing to do with this, Santana. You're the one talking nonsense since you arrived." The Jewish girl huffed.

"Whatever!" The Latina plopped on the couch and crossed her arms. "It wasn't even my idea."

Rachel sighed wearily and sat on the opposite side of the couch. "Please explain yourself calmly. What are you doing here and what is this pact you keep talking about?"

"It was during our second Christmas together. We were drunk but not enough to forget this night, or so I thought… Anyway, you said that you weren't afraid about your professional future because you knew you'd make it but what scared you the most was to end up alone. It was pretty sad if you ask me but… I kind of said. I said…"

So far it sounded like something the diva could have said. "Continue." She smiled encouragingly when she saw doubt in the girl's eyes.

"I said me too…"

"Oh, okay…Well there is no shame in that. It's a perfectly reasonable fear." The brunette reassured.

The former cheerleader scoffed. "Not the point Berry, I don't need your psychological analysis. So after I told you that, you went all crazy and shit and you said that if we were still single by 27, we should marry each other. You ranted about how you were the perfect partner and how I had all the qualities required to be a loving wife, at least when I wanted to… Don't ask me why I thought it was a good idea at that time but I agreed."

Rachel stared at Santana for what seemed like hours. She was trying to process everything. "So let me get this straight. You are here because in my drunken state I joked about us getting married if we had the misfortune of still being single?" She had no memory of this conversation and she hadn't even been aware of her attraction toward women at that point in her life. Why did she say that? Ending up alone was definitely a fear of hers but not to the point where she would arrange a marriage with a friend. And definitely not with Santana… It wasn't like the Latina was a bad lover, on the contrary, she heard positive things about this side of the girl but it was Santana.

"You weren't joking and I mean, it's not like I stayed single on purpose. It just happened and when your birthday came, I remembered our pact. I thought there're worse things in this world than marrying you. I mean you're hot and when you're not acting like a diva, you're pretty okay to be around. So why not give it a shot?" Santana shrugged.

The diva couldn't believe what she was hearing. What was even more surprising was that she was the one who came up with that idea. She must have been really drunk that night. What was she thinking? And what sane person would do that? The worst part was that Santana seemed to be okay it. "Why not give it a shot? We are not talking about a job opportunity or a new miracle diet! This is about love and commitment. This is a serious matter, you don't marry someone just because you're afraid to end up alone."

"Really?" The Latina rose from the couch. "Because a lot of people settle when they fear they won't find anyone else."

The small girl stood up too. "So you're settling for me?" She didn't know why she was hurt by the remark but she was. She knew she was far from perfect but she had a lot of qualities people should look for in a lover. She didn't want to settle for someone or someone settling for her either. She wanted true love as silly and naïve as it sounded.

"I never said that."

The brunette crossed her arms, clearly irritated. "You kind of did"

"Oh my god!" The raven-haired beauty raised her hands up in frustration. "If we're going down this road, one of us will be dead by the end of the night and…"

"No one forced you to come! You can leave!" Rachel cried. It was her house and no one was allowed to treat her badly here, or anywhere else for the matter. It wasn't high school anymore.

Santana put her hands on Rachel's shoulders and locked eyes with her. "For god's sake, shut up and let me finish!"

The Broadway star clicked her tongue, trying to keep her comment to herself. She knew there was no point in arguing with Santana, at least until the girl finished saying what she had to say. She removed the girl's hands from her shoulders and sat back on the couch. "The floor is yours" She said bitterly.

The Latina sighed before running her fingers through her hair. "It's not a proposal, I didn't come here with a ring and ready to get down on one knee. It's just… If you repeat this to anyone, you're dead but I'm lonely okay. It's gonna be Christmas soon, my parents are on vacation, Quinn and Britt have their own lives and Kurt is with his boyfriend… I guess it forced me to take a look at my life. I'm 27, I have truthful friends, a good career, money, fans who love me, a nice house in L.A and then what? I'll still be alone for the holidays…" She chuckled. "Look at that, I'm not even here for a day and I already caught your word vomit disease."

"Are you bragging about your success? Because I have that too." The diva stated. She was starting to get angry and annoyed by the situation and she wanted to snap at the girl.

"Yes and I also know you're lonely." The tan girl argued. "Kurt told me you were alone for the holidays too."

"Kurt!" The brunette growled. This boy couldn't keep his mouth shut sometimes. "I'll have to speak with him about secrecy." Deep down she was happy to see Santana again but she didn't want to welcome her back in her life just to watch her leave after her 'little vacation'. She didn't want to be used. "So what? You thought misery loves company."

"No, I thought that despite everything, you're my friend and you shouldn't be alone. I mean we could spend some time together, it could be nice. I don't expect anything to happen between us, I just thought…" The Latina sighed, frustrated. "I don't know what I thought but… Okay, you know what? Nevermind… I'll just go to a hotel and you'll be free to go back to your perfect life." She moved to take her coat.

Rachel felt conflicted, she had no memory of their 'pact' and had no intention to pursue a relationship with the girl but they were friends. Even if they lost sight of each other, it would be nice to reconnect and have someone over for the holidays. She was lonely and so was Santana. The girl even seemed to be at the same point of her life as her. When she saw the Latina grab her luggage, she took a decision. "Santana, wait!"

The taller girl turned around with a frown "What?"

"Stay. At least for the night... I might not remember our pact but we can talk about it more tomorrow." The brunette said softly. "Besides it's late, you might not find a hotel room at this hour."

The former cheerleader scoffed. "I don't need your charity, I can pay for a hotel room, several even and I'm sure there's still a room available for me somewhere." She started walking toward the door. "It was a bad idea anyway…"

The Jewish girl stepped in front of her. "It's not charity. Like you said we are friends, it could be nice to have you around… Besides I was about to order in, if you're hungry, we can share some Chinese like old times…" She offered with a smile.

Santana stared at the girl for a moment before sighing. "Fine, but you better open a nice bottle of wine, Berry! And I won't sleep on your couch."

Rachel laughed. "I think it can be arranged."


	2. Hit me with a flashback

Disclaimer: I don't own glee or any song used in this chapter

A/N: **Sorry, it's not another chapter**. I saw some mistakes I let slide and i ended up deleting everything. I shouldn't do that when i just woke up ^^

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Hit me with a flashback**

The next morning, Rachel got ready to go to rehearsal. She took a shower, got dressed and fed her cat before eating breakfast. She was checking her emails on her Ipad when she realised Santana would spend the day in her apartment, at least a part of the day, alone and unsupervised. Suddenly, the memory of all the times the Latina went through her and Kurt's belonging in the loft flashed into her mind. ' _Oh my god, I need to keep her away from the apartment today. If I knew she was coming, I would have hid some things, not that I have anything to hide but with Santana, everything can become suspicious. I need to find an excuse, think Rachel, think… Yes, I should send her buy some non-vegan food since I'm sure she will complain about my 'rabbit food'. But she's sleeping right now, should I wake her? She might be cranky. But a post-it won't do it. Okay, I'm going to bring her coffee and ask her to bring us lunch so we can eat together. It should keep her busy for while.'_ She nodded firmly to herself before grabbing another mug and filling it with coffee and sugar.

The diva walked toward the guest room but hesitated once in front of the door. Maybe she was overstepping, she had just reconnected the night before with Santana, the girl may not appreciate she entered her room without warning. She pondered her choices and decided to knock softly and go in without waiting for an answer, after all it was her guest room. She silently made her way over to the bed and put the cup on the nightstand. Then she turned toward Santana and smiled unconsciously. The girl looked so peaceful; it was almost a crime to wake her up. She reached over to the Latina and shook her slightly. "Santana? San, wake up!"

"Mmhh…" Santana stirred.

"I brought you coffee. You can't stay in bed all day, you need to enjoy New-York." Rachel said cheerfully.

"Hmm, do what you want with my body but let me sleep." The Latina mumbled sleepily.

The diva chuckled. Who would have thought Santana would offer herself to her so casually. "Well thank you for the generous offer, I guess… but I think I'll have to decline." This whole situation was crazy.

"Your loss." The raven-haired girl replied a bit more awake. She sat and grabbed her coffee. "Did you…"

"Yes, I put some sugar in it. We might have lost touch but I still know things about you…" The Latina raised her eyebrow questioningly which prompted the Jewish girl to continue. "Anyway!" She cleared her throat. "If you're planning to stay, you should go to the grocery store and buy what you need since I doubt you'll eat vegan.

The former-cheerleader sipped her coffee, humming in approval. "Damn right!"

"Maybe you could make us lunch and meet me at the theatre so we can eat together?" The brunette asked sweetly.

"Already can't live without me future Mrs Lopez." Santana smirked.

Rachel rolled her eyes. Santana had to start again with this story. "I told you we won't get married and even in the hypothetical future where we would, do you really think I'd take your name? It would be Berry-Lopez!" Why was she even telling that?

The tan girl smiled smugly. "Well for someone who is so opposed to the idea, you seem to have thought about it quite a bit."

 _'_ _The nerve of this girl! She's the one bringing the subject up first thing in the morning and I'm the one over-thinking it?'_ The diva put her hand on her hip and huffed. "I'll have you know that I don't need to consider this idea to know such a fact."

"Whatever." The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes before putting her cup back on the nightstand. She looked at the time on the alarm clock. "Aren't you going to be late?"

"Sweet Barbra, I do. Thank you for telling me. See you at lunch?" The Jewish girl smiled and walked toward the door.

"Yeah. Oh and Berry?" The Latina called before her friend left the room.

The brunette turned around and leaned against the doorframe. "Yes, Santana?"

"Don't worry, I won't go through your stuff." The former cheerleader assured.

"What? I never…I mean…" The diva stumbled on her words. _'I never thought she'd see through my ruse but I guess it's Santana, she has always been cunning'_

Santana raised her hand to dismiss her reply. "I know you're trying to keep me away from your apartment, I can see it. But I won't rummage through your things because frankly, I don't want to find another stick in your trashcan or anything related to another manwhore."

The small girl huffed. "I won't even dignify that with an answer. I have to go. Bye."

* * *

It was lunch break at the theatre and Rachel was wondering if Santana would show up late or not. She was in the middle of a conversation with her co-star when he gasped in surprise. "What's wrong?"

"Oh my god, it's Santana Lopez!" The tall man exclaimed. "What is she doing here?"

"We're having lunch together, she's a friend." The diva informed him before Santana joined them.

"Sorry I'm a bit late, the security guard wanted an autograph." Santana grabbed a bottle of water from her paper bag and gave it to Rachel.

The brunette smiled gratefully. "Thank you." She opened the bottle and drank.

"Hey, I'm Gregory, Rachel's co-star. It's a pleasure to meet you." The blonde man shook the girl's hand. "I'm surprised to see you here, I thought you were filming in L.A."

"We finished shooting last week." The Latina replied. "So I rushed back to New-York to spend the holidays with my fiancé." She side-hugged the diva before resting her hand on her back.

 _'_ _What?'_ Rachel spat her water before coughing. _'Oh my god! She can not be serious?! It's one thing to talk about this pact I have no memory of when we are alone together but it's definitely another one to share it with 'strangers'. It's not okay!'_

The raven-haired girl smirked as she rubbed the girl's back. "Are you okay, love?"

"Oh my god, seriously?! I didn't know you two were dating!" Gregory answered excitedly. "Rachel, you said she was a friend, you pretty little liar!"

The brunette moved away from the Latina and shook her head vehemently. "No! We…" She was about to deny it but the unexpected kiss from Santana on her cheek left her speechless.

"We want to keep it secret so don't say anything." The tan girl winked. "If you'll excuse us, I need to feed this little one now or she'll get grumpy." She took Rachel's hand and led her toward the dressing room.

* * *

Finally able to speak again, the Jewish girl tugged her hand free and stepped in front of her friend "Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea of what you've done?"

Santana rolled her eyes. "Calm your tits, I was just joking."

"He doesn't know that!" Rachel cried out. She looked around her and saw a few people staring at them. She grabbed the Latina by the wrist and dragged her in her dressing room. She let go of her before saying. "Gregory is sweet but he's a bigger gossip than Kurt and Mercedes!"

"Then I'll just go and talk to him. If I threaten to break his knee I'm sure he'll keep quiet." The former cheerleader shrugged before grabbing her sandwich from her bag.

"What? No, you won't do any such thing! You…" The diva sighed wearily. The Latina wasn't even back for more then a day and they were already bickering. "Let's just eat, okay? I'll deal with him later."

The tan girl smiled in reply and handed the diva her food.

* * *

Rachel was annoyed and definitely angry at Santana for her little joke. Indeed, Gregory refused to drop the subject and kept asking questions about Santana and their wedding despite reminded him numerous times it was a joke. At least he promised to keep his mouth shut about it…

The diva made her way to the apartment, ready to lecture Santana on what type of conversations were acceptable in front of co-workers. When she reached the door, she heard some Christmas music coming from inside. Intrigued, she unlocked the door and slowly came in. When she scanned the apartment, a smile slowly formed on her lips. Santana had decorated the living room while she was away. There were some fairy lights hanged on the walls and some baubles, tinsel, wreaths and bunting placed all around the room. The Latina even hung her socking with clearly enough space next to it for Rachel to put hers.

Santana suddenly emerged from the kitchen. "Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing... A ring...Oh, hey Berry, you're back."

"What's all this?" The brunette asked curious and amused.

"When I came back here after the theatre, I realised you didn't put any Christmas decorations up. That was way too depressing so I went out and bought some." The Latina explained. "I bought a Christmas tree too, they'll deliver it tomorrow."

"That's amazing!" The small girl squealed and bounced happily. "It's so sweet of you, Santana, thank you!" She walked toward the Latina and hugged her.

"Yeah, yeah, don't get all mushy I did it for me too." The raven-haired woman said as she hugged the girl back.

Rachel broke the embrace and smiled happily. "I can't wait to decorate the tree with you." After all this, she couldn't be mad at Santana anymore. She kept looking around until she smelled food. "What's that smell?"

"I made us dinner." The tan girl announced while going back to the kitchen.

"Really?" The diva followed her and sat on a stool in front of the island. "Oh my god, what happened to you and where did the real Santana go?" She joked.

Santana scoffed. "Don't act like I've never cooked when we were roommates. I remember how you loved my vegan pizza."

"I did, still do…" The brunette blushed. "But you didn't have to do all this you know. I'm just wondering why you would put so much effort and…"

"I thought you understood a while ago that I can do things without ulterior motive…" The Latina cut her off. "But I guess I was wrong…"

"No, Santana, that's not what I meant." The brunette had to clarify or things would go downhill very fast. "I mean you are my guest, you should enjoy yourself and I should be the one cooking and…"

"You work, I don't, which means I have time, it's as simple as that."

The Broadway actress stood up and approached Santana. She grabbed the girl's hands in hers before locking eyes. "I'm sorry it came out wrong. I was just teasing you like you always do with me. I didn't want to offend you. I told you last night, I'm glad you're here."

The former cheerleader snorted. "Please, I'm not offended."

"If you say so… Can I hug you now?" Rachel smiled.

"Again?" Santana smirked. "If you want to cop a feel you should just say so."

The diva chuckled and shook her head. "You're incorrigible."

The two girls spent the evening together talking, laughing and drinking wine. Around midnight, Rachel helped Santana settle in her guest room before going to bed.

* * *

The diva was tossing and turning, desperately trying to find sleep when a flashback of their Christmas hit her.

 _'_ _After dinner, Kurt was making out with his new boyfriend on the couch while Rachel and Santana was seated at the table, drinking._

 _"_ _Urghh, get a room!" Santana exclaimed as she looked at her friend who totally ignored her._

 _Rachel giggled drunkenly. "San, it's the Christmas, let them enjoy the moment."_

 _The Latina scoffed. "I'm not saying they can't enjoy the moment, just that they could go somewhere else."_

 _The diva grabbed the bottle of wine on the table and poured her friend another drink. "Here, it will help."_

 _"_ _Trying to get me drunk, Berry?" The tan girl smirked._

 _"_ _You already are…" The brunette retorted before laughing. She was about to ask if Kurt wanted another drink when 'All I want for Christmas' started on the stereo. "Oh my god, I love this song!" She exclaimed._

 _The former cheerleader laughed. "You say that about almost every song on your playlist."_

 _Rachel ignored her and started singing along. "_ _I don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need. I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree. "_

 _The raven-haired girl snorted. "As if..."_

 _"_ _I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know. Make my wish come true. All I want for Christmas is you, yeah_ _. " The petite girl pointed at Santana with a smile._

 _Santana chuckled. "Well well, something to tell me gayberry?" She raised her eyebrow amused._

 _"_ _Come on sing!" The brunette shouted._

 _The Latina shook her head with a smile "No!"_

 _The diva pouted "Please…"_

 _The former cheerleader rolled her eyes. "Okay. You're lucky I have enough alcohol in my veins for that, Berry." She stood up and cleared her throat before singing the next verse. "_ _I don't need to hang my stocking there upon the fireplace. Santa Claus won't make me happy_ _with a toy on Christmas Day. I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know._ _Make my wish come true, all I want for Christmas is you. You, baby …"_

 _Rachel pointed at herself, feigning the surprise and adoration with a hand on her heart. "Me?" Both girls burst out laughing as the song continued…'_

Rachel sat up abruptly on her bed as the memory flooded her head. "Oh my Barba, what just happened?"


	3. Christmas spirit

Disclaimer: I don't own glee or any song used in this chapter

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Christmas spirit**

A couple days later, Rachel was off for the Holidays. She had enjoyed reconnecting with Santana, the girl had been all cheery and dorky, surfing on her Christmas spirit.

When she arrived home after rehearsal, she could already hear music behind the door. She chuckled lightly. "Oh Santana, what are you up to…" She shook her head with a smile as she opened the door.

As soon as the brunette stepped into her apartment, her eyes fell on Santana singing and swaying in her living room. The Latina had her cat in her arms and the poor thing was dressed in a Santa's outfit.

A laugh bubbled up in her throat before she could stop it. "Oh my god, Santana." She breathed between laughter. "What did you do to Maria?"

Santana blushed, a little ashamed to be caught in her silly moment before frowning. "I still can't believe you named your cat Maria! It's ridiculous."

"It's a cute name." The petite girl defended.

"It's from a musical!" The raven-haired girl pointed out.

"Do you know who you're talking to?" Rachel removed her coat, shoes and dropped her purse before joining her friend.

The former cheerleader smirked. "Point taken." She kissed the cat and put her back on the floor. "What's up, Berry?"

"I'm finally off so now I'm available if you want us to do some Christmas activities." The diva offered cheerfully.

The Latina nodded. "Is there something you want to do precisely?"

Rachel thought about it for a minute. "Well we need to decide on the menu for Christmas and buy food accordingly. We could also see the tree at the Rockefeller center and take a walk in Central Park. I also need to buy some presents…"

"It's late so we can do all that tomorrow." Santana stated. "For now, are you hungry? I thought we could eat out?"

"Oh, great idea." The diva smiled. "Let me shower and get dressed and then we can go."

"Sure but hurry up, hobbit, I'm starving."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "I'll do my best…"

* * *

An hour later, Rachel and Santana were eating in a nice restaurant, talking about their time in Glee.

"Do you remember when we did some classroom carolling and everything went to shit?" Santana laughed.

"Oh my god, it was awful!" Rachel exclaimed. "Some people really don't know how to enjoy the Christmas spirit."

"Says the Jewish girl." The Latina answered amused.

"Well, I enjoy this holiday nonetheless."

"You almost like it more than me…" The raven-haired girl sipped her wine. They fell into a comfortable silence when 'Baby, it's cold outside' started playing on the radio. It was when Rachel was hit by another flashback of their Christmas night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 _'_ _Kurt was about to leave the apartment to go to his boyfriend's place._

 _"_ _Kurt, it's cold outside and I'm not even sure you'll find a cab at this hour." Rachel tried, not wanting them to leave this late._

 _"_ _We can't stay, we have plans with Thomas's family tomorrow. Besides, we want to enjoy the rest of the night together." Kurt explained._

 _Santana snorted from her spot on the couch. "The Queen of England wants to get her freak on." She giggled before swallowing her shot of tequila._

 _The diva frowned, worried despite her drunken state. "Santana, you're not helping!"_

 _"_ _Calm your tits, Berry, Hummel is a big boy, he can handle himself." The Latina stood up and approached the petite girl with a glass. "Here, drink that, it will help you relax." Without waiting for a reply, she brought the shot of tequila to Rachel's lips and didn't move until the girl finished it._

 _The brunette made a face. "Urgh, it tastes awful."_

 _"_ _Don't worry, divalicious, I'll text you when we are there." The blue-eyed boy kissed both girls on the cheek before leaving the loft._

 _The Jewish girl sighed as she sat on the couch. "Now what?"_

 _Santana smirked as she sat next to her friend. "More shots!"_

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Berry? Hey, Berry? Rachel!"

Rachel blinked a few times as Santana's voice brought her back into the present. "Yes?"

"Are you okay?" Santana asked. "You zoned out for a moment."

"Humm." The petite girl looked at her friend who seemed slightly worried. The thought warmed her heart despite her confusion. "Yes, I'm okay, I'm sorry… I was just… Trying to come up with ideas for your gift." She lied. She didn't want to tell Santana she was experiencing some flashbacks from their night 7 years ago.

The Latina frowned. "Well just tell me if I'm so boring that you need to busy yourself with your own thoughts."

"No!" The diva said hastily, reaching for the Latina's hand on the table and squeezing it. "I'm really sorry. It's just… I want to find the perfect gift and the song gave me an idea."

The former cheerleader studied the diva for a minute. "Whatever… Do you want some dessert?"

They kept eating and talking until they hailed a cab to go back to the diva's apartment.

* * *

The next day, Rachel and Santana got ready to go Christmas shopping.

"Are you going to wear that?" Santana asked as she joined Rachel in her room.

Rachel looked at her festive jumper. "Yes, why?"

The Latina raised her eyebrow. "Why? Because you look like your past self from high school."

The diva crinkled her nose. "So?"

"Well if it was ugly then it's still ugly now." The raven-haired girl stated. "But thank god you'll have your coat on to hide it."

The brunette gasped. "It's not! And if you are so embarrassed to be seen with me we can go our separate ways to shop." She crossed her arms defensively.

The former cheerleader rolled her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic." She walked toward the door and grabbed Rachel's coat before throwing it at the girl.

The petite girl groaned as the coat landed on her head. She removed it from her head and glared at her friend. "You're such an ass."

"It's a part of my charm." Santana smirked.

Rachel chuckled despite herself. "If you say so…"

* * *

Rachel and Santana were wandering in the crowded mall when the Latina questioned. "Can we take a break? You dragged me in every shop possible to find Kurt a gift and I'm tired."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Stop whining, it's unbecoming…"

The Latina scoffed. "I'm not whining, I just hate crowded places. And aren't you supposed to be always prepared, have lists of things to do? Why didn't you buy Kurt's present sooner?"

The diva frowned at the remark. She had had a busy month with rehearsal and didn't have the strength to face the crowd after a long day at the theatre, especially since she would spend Christmas alone. Besides, since Kurt would be away for a week, she thought she would buy it later. "Because I was busy with work."

"I was busy with work too." The tan girl pointed out. "But I found the time to buy stuff for everyone."

The brunette snorted. "Should I congratulate you for that?"

"Just buy me a coffee and a cupcake, it will do." The raven-haired girl smirked.

"Why should I do that?" The petite girl arched her eyebrow.

"Because you need to spoil your future wifey." Santana teased. "I mean, if you were my wife, I would totally buy you some hot tea after a day like this."

"How nice of you…" Rachel deadpanned.

The former cheerleader smirked "I know right."

"Okay." The diva stopped walking and grabbed her wallet to give Santana some money. "Treat yourself and meet me after, I have something to do anyway." Since she wasn't expecting Santana's presence for Christmas, she needed to find her a present.

The Latina raised her eyebrow as she grabbed the bills. "Well aren't you suddenly all secretive, Berry."

The petite girl sighed wearily. "Just go…"

"Yes, dear." Santana smirked.

The brunette laughed before shaking her head. Even though she wouldn't say it at loud, she liked this side of Santana.

* * *

Santana joined her an hour later. Luckily, she had thought about what she wanted to offer to her friend and was able to buy it before the girl came back. The Latina was smiling proudly with a tea and a vegan cookie in hands.

"You really bought me tea." Rachel exclaimed with surprise. She had thought the girl would only buy herself a coffee and come back. Santana was always full of surprises.

"I told you, I'm wife material." The Latina stated with a smirk.

"Santana…" The diva sighed. It was okay to joke now and then about their pact but it was starting to get annoying. "I'm glad you're here with me but could you stop with the wife comments?"

"Come on, Berry, just play along, it's the holidays, let loose a little." The raven-haired girl declared. "We're friends, there's no harm. Just try 'If I was your wife…'"

The brunette looked at Santana and sighed again. She guessed the Latina was right, there was no harm in playing along, after all she was an actress and she had to admit it was nice to hear Santana say those things, even if it was just for fun. Two could play this game. She cleared her throat and grabbed her tea. "If I was your wife…" She leaned toward Santana and stopped an inch from her mouth. "I would thank you with a sweet kiss." She heard the Latina's breath hitch and smirked. "But since you're not..." She kissed her friend's cheek. "Thank you." She pulled away. "And in the meantime, you can carry some of my bags…"

The tan girl blinked when she felt Rachel put her shopping bags in her hand. "What? No!" She cried once she recovered.

The petite girl laughed and hurried away, knowing Santana would follow her quickly to argue.


	4. This silly game

Disclaimer: I don't own glee

* * *

 **Chapter 4: This silly game**

Once their shopping trip over, Rachel and Santana went back to Rachel's apartment to drop their bags. After a short conversation about what to do next, the two girls decided to take a stroll in Central Park.

"You know…" Santana said as they were walking side by side in comfortable silence. "If I was your wife, we would take strolls like this on Sundays."

Rachel chuckled. "Santana Lopez, aren't you a closet romantic."

"Shut up." The former cheerleader frowned and crossed her arms defensively. "I don't even know why I'm trying to have fun with you; you have no sense of humor."

The petite girl stopped walking and gasped indignantly. "It's not true; I have a sense of humor!"

"Is that so?" The Latina raised her eyebrow defiantly.

"Okay, you want me to play your stupid little game, then let's play." The diva moved to be face to face with Santana. "If I was your wife I would love to take walks in Central park with you on Sundays or prepare us picnics so we can enjoy the sun while lying here on the grass. If I was your wife, I would bake you cookies and cupcakes just because I know you love them. If I was your wife I would make coffee in the morning before I leave the house because I know you're not a morning person and it makes you less grumpy to find some fresh coffee in the pot. If I was your wife, I would hold your hand in the street and proudly call you mine. If I was your wife, I would surprise you with romantic dinners and sweet gestures. If I was your wife, I would watch your stupid shows, just to share the moment with you on the couch because I would see you smile with these cute dimples and hear you laugh. If I was your wife, I would text you randomly during the day just to know if you're okay and let you know I'm thinking of you. If I was your wife, I would remind you every day that you are loved and cherished, even when I'm mad at you because you are infuriating." She finished out of breath, once again an inch away from Santana's mouth. She glanced at her lips before another flashback hit her.

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

 _'_ _Rachel was sprawled on the couch barely focusing on the TV screen when Santana drunkenly rolled on top of her to go on the other side of the couch._

 _"_ _I can't believe I'm jealous of Hummel's love life." Santana said once she took back her spot next to Rachel._

 _Rachel pouted. "Me too..." She snuggled against Santana. "Do you think Thomas is the one for Kurt?"_

 _"_ _I don't know." The Latina shrugged. "It's still too soon to tell."_

 _The diva nodded. "Kurt told me he was thinking about moving in with Thomas."_

 _"_ _Seriously?"_

 _"_ _Maybe in a few years we'll see some mini Kurt or mini Thomas running around." The brunette said._

 _The tan girl chuckled. "You're ridiculous, Berry."_

 _"_ _I didn't say someday soon but who knows, maybe in five years." The petite girl stayed silent for a moment. "Do you want kids?"_

 _The former cheerleader frowned. "Where the hell is that coming from?"_

 _"_ _Come on, San, we're friends, friends share these kind of things. You can tell me." The Jewish girl insisted._

 _Santana rolled her eyes and sighed. She thought about it for a while. "Yeah, I think so… I mean, it would be nice to have a mini Santana or a mini whoever I'll be married to running around in my big house because by then, I'd be rich and famous."_

 _Rachel smiled. "That's so cute."_

 _"_ _Shut up!"_

 _The diva giggled before side-hugging her friend. She fell silent again, musing about her own life and future. "You know, I'm not afraid about the future, at least regarding my professional life. I know I'll end up on Broadway because I've worked too hard to do anything else, it's my dream, my destiny." She heard Santana hum. She took a deep breath before blurting out. "What I'm afraid of though, is ending up alone…"_

 _Santana snorted. "You won't."_

 _The brunette pulled away to look at her friend. "How can you be so sure?"_

 _"_ _Because…"_

 _The petite girl wrinkled her nose. "That's not an answer."_

 _The raven-haired girl sighed. "Because despite being an annoying high maintenance diva, you're a good person. You're sweet and caring and when you're not in your selfish bitch mode, quite thoughtful. So stop worrying about that…"_

 _The brunette grinned and kissed Santana's cheek before settling back against her. "You know, Santana Lopez, you are pretty amazing when you want to."_

 _The Latina smirked. "You should write that down for later…"'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Rachel, are you okay?" Santana asked, squeezing the diva's shoulder.

Rachel blinked, looking into Santana's eyes as she cleared her mind from the memory. "I'm sorry." She shook her head. "I'm okay. We should go back to my place, I'm cold."

"You sure?" The Latina asked again. "Because you keep zoning out lately."

"Yes, I'm fine, don't worry." The diva forced a smile. She had started her rant as some kind of joke but the more she kept talking, the more she was picturing it actually happening and something weird happened. It was like she could actually enjoy this future with Santana and it made her heart miss a beat. It was absurd; they were friends who had just reconnected. And as if it wasn't enough, she had this flashback of Santana being all sweet during their Christmas night. She didn't know if she wanted to know more about that night or just forget it completely.

* * *

When they arrived home Santana decided to take a shower while Rachel was in her room, still lost in her thoughts about their Christmas night seven years ago. She still had no recollection of their pact yet but she could feel she was getting closer to that moment. She was afraid to find out what happened. And once she'd remembered, what was she supposed to do with it? Sure she was single and Santana was attractive but they would never work out as a couple, would they? Was she really contemplating Santana as a possible significant other? No it was just the confusion of all the flashbacks and her Christmas melancholia for being away from her dads.

Some noises coming from Santana's room pull her out of her thoughts. The girl was done with her shower. She looked at the time on her alarm, it was almost dinner time. She stood up and made her way toward the guest room to ask the Latina what she wanted to eat.

Seeing the door was opened, she stepped inside without knocking. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Santana naked, turning her back at her while lazily searching for a shirt to wear in the drawer. "Sweet Barbra…" Her face turned red as she suddenly found herself all hot and bothered.

As soon as she heard Rachel's voice, she turned around. When she saw how red the girl's face was, she smirked. "Well, well, well, it looks like someone is enjoying the view." She grabbed a shirt and pulled it on slowly. "You know, it should be a privilege reserved to future Mrs Lopez…"

"Berry-Lopez…" The Broadway star mumbled without thinking.

The Latina chuckled. "Did you want something?"

"Huh" was all the brunette could muster.

The raven-haired girl laughed. "Why are you in my room?"

"Oh…" Rachel shook her head before making eye contact with her friend. "I… I don't remember… Just, hum…Nevermind." She hurried out of the room but stopped abruptly when she suddenly remembered why she was coming here in the first place. She turned around and without knowing why, knocked on the open door.

"Berry…" The former cheerleader said amused. "It's too late you already saw me naked so might as well come in."

The petite girl cleared her throat. "Yes, I'm sorry. I was just wondering what you wanted for dinner."

"Something light, maybe a salad?" The tan girl answered.

The Jewish girl nodded before leaving the room in embarrassment. She just hoped the dinner wouldn't be too awkward because knowing Santana, the girl wouldn't pass an opportunity to tease her about her blatant ogling.

As expected, the Latina teased her a few times before taking pity on her and the rest of the evening was spent drinking wine and watching movies.


	5. Hot topic

Disclaimer: I don't own glee

A/N: I have a little Xmas surprise in preparation for you...

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Hot topic**

Rachel and Santana had a slow morning. They ate a nice breakfast before decorating the Christmas tree a bit more. Once they were done, they decided to bake some Christmas cookies.

"Do you have some almond extract?" Santana asked after reading her recipe.

"Yes, check in the cupboard on the right." Rachel answered as she busied herself with her vegan preparation.

The Latina moved toward the cupboard and rummaged in it. "I can't find it. And you don't even have cinnamon!"

The petite girl frowned. "What? I used some not long ago." She pushed Santana to the side to check herself. After a minute of searching, her frown deepened. "I was so sure I had some."

"Well you were wrong, Berry and now we have to go back to the store." The tan girl sighed. "I asked you like twice if you were sure because I specifically told you I didn't want to go out today and you said yes."

"I was sure I had some left!" The diva cried.

"Well you're getting old, Berry, because your memory isn't as good as it was." The former cheerleader smirked. "I mean if you were my wife, I would count on you for this kind of thing."

"Oh for god's sake, enough with the wife jokes already." The brunette snapped tiredly.

The raven-haired girl scowled. "Are you PMSing because your sense of humor disappeared again?"

Rachel grunted. "You're infuriating!" She walked to the sink to wash her hands before moving next to the door to grab her coat. "Get your stuff; we're going to the store."

Santana frowned. "What? Now?"

"Yes, now." The Jewish girl stated while checking her reflection in the mirror.

"Can't we like, change before we go?" The Latina asked as she pointed at her clothes. "I have flour on my shirt."

"Like you said to me once, you'll have your coat on, no one will see and besides, it will be quick."

"This is all your fault, you said you had all we needed. I should stay here." The raven-haired girl crossed her arms.

Rachel sighed. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we'll be back and you are coming with me because you are eating these cookies too."

They launched themselves into a staring contest until Santana sighed. "Fine but you're buying us another bottle of wine, I have a feeling I'll need it."

The Broadway star handed the Latina her coat. "Fine, if that's what it takes to make you happy. Now let's go."

The taller girl put her coat on and opened the door. "You know, you can't boss me around, I'm not your wife."

The diva laughed. "Well I guess it's the perfect time to say that if I was your wife, you would also come with me to the store."

Santana frowned. "I don't like this game anymore…"

The brunette chuckled before closing the door behind them.

* * *

Rachel was comparing two different types of spices while Santana was getting some milk when she heard someone call her name. She looked up and saw Gregory, her co-star. "Gregory, hey." She smiled kindly.

The tall man hugged her. "How are you, darling?"

"I'm good and you?" The diva hadn't expected meeting anyone she knew here but of course she had to stumble across Gregory. She liked the boy but he was nosy and she didn't want him to see Santana with her.

"Perfect. My mom asked me to run some last minute errands, so I'm here. What about you?"

"Same, we forgot to buy some ingredients."

"We?" Gregory raised his eyebrow.

"Rachel?" As on cue, Santana appeared behind her. "Do you need more soy milk?" Her eyes fell on Rachel's co-star. "Oh, hey humm…" She said as she extended her hand.

"Gregory." He smiled before pushing her hand away and hugging her.

"Oh, wow, mmh okay, hello." The Latina tapped on his back before gently pushing him away.

"Isn't it the beautiful fiancé?" Gregory exclaimed excitedly.

"That's me!" The raven-haired girl said with a big fake smile.

The brunette discreetly elbowed Santana, this was definitely what she wanted to avoid. "Please, Gregory…" She started.

Santana circled her arm around her waist and pull her closer. "Isn't she cute when she's all worried about people finding out about us."

"Santana!"

The tan girl smirked before sweetly kissing the corner of her mouth. "Don't worry babe, I'm sure Gregory can keep a secret."

The tall man grinned. "Of course, hun, my lips are sealed."

To say the kiss took her by surprise would be an understatement. The petite girl tried to speak but all she could do was gape opened mouth. She knew it was just an act in front of Gregory to annoy her but it felt… It felt nice and it almost gave her butterflies. She cleared her throat. "We… We should go, we have things to do. Have a nice Christmas."

"You too…" Gregory answered.

The Latina chuckled as Rachel hastily grabbed the cinnamon and rushed toward the register.

Once she was far enough, Rachel glanced behind her and saw Santana looking at her almost longingly. No, she was starting to imagine things; she really needed to get a grip.

* * *

An hour later, the girls were back in Rachel's kitchen, finishing their preparation for the sugar cookies.

Rachel had mainly stayed silent since they had left the store. She couldn't shake away what she had felt. It wasn't just the kiss, it was also the feeling of déjà vu she felt when Santana's lips almost brush against hers.

"Has the cat got your tongue?" Santana suddenly broke the silence.

The brunette blinked before looking at her friend. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"What's wrong with you, you're all…" The Latina gestured to her face. "Gloomy…"

"There's nothing wrong." The diva lied. She didn't want to fight with Santana about what happened at the store or even worry her with her conflicted thoughts.

"Bullshit, you're usually all happy and bubbly and shit." The raven-haired girl declared. "Is it about this Gregory dude? Because if it's just that, gimme your phone, I'll call him and explain. I don't want your sad face ruining my holiday good mood."

"You can leave the room if it bothers you…" The petite girl didn't want to be snappy but these flashbacks were taking their toll on her.

The former cheerleader sighed loudly before looking at the girl and smirking. She discreetly pulled her bowl closer and wiped some of the mixture on her fingers before spreading it on the girl's nose. She quickly laughed at her friend's outraged face.

Rachel gasped. "Oh my god, you didn't!"

"Oh, but I did!" Santana said between laughter.

"It's not even the vegan one!" The Jewish girl exclaimed as she wiped her nose with a towel.

"Ohhh, poor thing." The tan girl cooed exuberantly.

"Really?" The brunette grabbed some flour and threw it in Santana's face. "Who's the poor thing now?" She smirked.

"You bitch, that's war!" The raven-haired girl shouted, taking a handful of Rachel's mixture.

"Nnoooo!" The diva rushed out of the kitchen giggling.

"Don't worry, Berry, this one is vegan!" The taller girl ran after her. They chased each other for a few minutes before Santana finally caught the diva. She raised her hand to throw the mixture but Rachel grabbed her wrist just before she could. Both girls ended up with dough on their faces. They looked at each other before they burst out laughing.

Once they calmed down, Santana offered to clean the mess so the diva could shower first. ' _Maybe_ _our evening won't be so bad after all..._ ' Rachel thought as she made her way toward the bathroom.

* * *

A few hours later, it was finally time for their Christmas dinner. Santana opened their second bottle of wine of the evening while Rachel was bringing the last plates to the table.

"Everything smells good." Rachel declared.

"It's normal, I helped." Santana stated as she joined Rachel in the living room.

The diva shook her head but smiled. "Are you ready to eat?" She sat.

"Hells yeah." The taller girl poured them some wine before sitting opposite of her friend. "I have a question before we start."

The brunette smiled. "Ask away."

"Did you wear this reindeer jumper on purpose because you knew I would hate it?" The Latina questioned with a serious face.

The Broadway star giggled. "That's a possibility…"

The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes. "That's what I thought."

"I think you secretly like them." Rachel teased. She was in a way better mood now and she wanted to enjoy her evening with Santana.

The tan girl scoffed. "As if. I thought you were done with your fashion faux pas but I guess you still have some awful stuff in your closet."

"If I remember correctly, during my 'house party trainwreck extravaganza' as you called it, you said you wanted me while I was singing with Blaine, even though I was wearing, that, I have to admit, ugly green gown." ' _Wait, where is that coming from?'_ The petite girl mused. _'Maybe I should slow down on the wine.'_

Santana who was sipping her wine almost choked on her drink. "What?" She coughed. "I have no idea what you're talking; it must be the alcohol talking." She cleared her throat. "Why didn't you wear your elf costume, at least you looked decent in it?"

The brunette laughed as she grabbed her drink. "And you, why didn't you put on your Mrs Claus's outfit?"

The former cheerleader laughed. "Well Berry, if you wanted to enjoy the view of my body again, you should have said so, I would have worn my slutty Mrs Claus outfit for you."

"I, hum… I forget to bring water." The Broadway star stood up hastily to go to the kitchen but not without glancing at the Latina first. The girl looked almost sad to see her leave in such a hurry in the middle of a conversation.

This wasn't the road she wanted to take and she couldn't understand why Santana was so casual about flirting with her. She took a deep breath as she grabbed some water from the fridge. She just had to change topic and hopefully, they would stay away from the teasing and enjoy the night.


	6. Let the memory live again

Disclaimer: I don't own glee

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Let the memory live again**

A couple of wine bottles later, midnight rang out and it was time to exchange gifts. Rachel smiled when she saw Santana had bought two presents just like her.

"So, who goes first?" Rachel asked cheerfully as they settled on the couch.

"Since we both bought two gifts, open mine first then I'll open yours and then back to mine again." Santana declared as she handed her the first present.

The diva nodded before grabbing the present. She smiled as she put it on her lap and started unwrapping it. She glanced at Santana who looked slightly nervous. She stopped and reached for her friend's hand to squeeze it. "Whatever this is, I'm sure I'll like it."

The Latina rolled her eyes. "Whatever, just open it."

The brunette giggled before opening the present. It was photo book full of pictures of them. There were photographs from high school, from their time in the loft, just the two of them or with Kurt and a few pictures taken during their glee reunions the past 7 years. Around the pictures, there were a lot of notes, quotes of things they said, private jokes they had or words about things they shared. As the girl slowly turned the pages, she could see the journey of their relationship and it brought tear to her eyes. Santana must have put a lot of thought and time into it. "Santana…" She breathed out. "It'… I…"

"Do you like it?" The raven-haired girl asked, almost shyly as she scratched behind her ear.

"I love it. It's so sweet and personal and I'm really touched by the gesture." The petite girl put the book onto the coffee table before hugging the girl tightly. "Thank you, it's an amazing gift."

The tan girl sighed in relief as she hugged her friend back. "Well, duh, it's coming from me."

Rachel chuckled and wiped the few tears that had rolled down her face before pulling away. "Your turn now." She grabbed the first gift and gave it to her friend.

"Don't tell me it's a musicals collection because I think I'll "forget" it here." The former cheerleader joked as she opened the present.

The Broadway star slapped the Latina's arm. "Shut up and open it."

"Wow…" Santana exclaimed after tearing off the wrapping paper. It was a collection of old and new vinyls of Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse, Adele and some others. "Some of them are old, how did you get them? I mean, it's not like you were expecting my visit…"

The Jewish girl smiled. "I'm friends with the owner of a music store. Once I knew you'd be spending Christmas with me, I thought about what I could get you. I know that after a long day, you like to put some records on the platine to relax. So I gave my friend a call and asked him to find you the best vinyls…"

The Latina grinned and hugged the girl. "Thank you, I can't wait to listen to them." She reached for the other gift. "Open this one now."

Rachel took a sip of her drink before opening the second present. "Oh my… where did you get this?" It was a limited edition of The Sound of Music dedicated by Julie Andrews.

"Funny story actually…" The tan girl smiled. "I have a friend who works for a production company. He told me they were about to release a limited edition for Christmas so I kind of pulled some strings to get it first. I never thought I'd get it signed but I guess I was lucky. I had this charity event just before I came here and Julie was there. So I talked to her, she's amazing and I told her about you and how I wanted to give you the DVD. She saw one of your shows and she said you were pretty good."

The Broadway star squealed. "Seriously?"

"Yes." The Latina chuckled. "She offered to sign it and she even left you a note."

The diva quickly opened the DVD to read the note. "Oh my god…"

"Please, don't cry…"

"I'm trying but you did all this for me when we are not as close as we were before, you… you're amazing…" The brunette said, her voice full of emotions.

"It's no big deal." The raven-haired girl replied awkwardly.

"It is!" The petite girl insisted.

"Whatever, now give me my gift." The former cheerleader unwrapped her second gift and saw a small jewellery box. She raised her eyebrow. "You know, I should be wooed before you propose, I'm not easy."

Rachel giggled. "Don't be silly, open the box."

When she opened the box, Santana gasped. "Oh my god…" She traced the necklace with her fingers. It was a thin gold chain with a ballerina. "It looks like…"

"Like the one you wanted when you officially moved in with me and Kurt." The diva finished. She remembered how they were shopping together, at her request, because she wanted some bonding time with Santana and how the Latina had stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted the necklace in the window. It was expensive so the girl decided to save money to buy it but by the time she had enough, it was gone. Rachel had a feeling it was fate to find it. "I guess it was like you, I got lucky. I was wandering in the mall when I saw this new vintage shop. I was intrigued so I took a look inside and it instantly caught my eye. I know it's not exactly the same but…" She nervously put some of her hair behind her ear.

"I don't care if it's not the same, it's beautiful." The taller girl removed the necklace from the box and handed it to Rachel. "Can you put it on me?" She turned her back and put her hair to the side.

"Of course!" The brunette took a deep breath before clipping the necklace around her friend's neck.

"So does it look good?" The Latina asked as she turned around.

On an unconscious impulse, the petite girl left her hand and brushed her fingers on the necklace. "Yes…" She looked up at Santana who had her face close to hers. As they stared into each other eyes, the air shifted. She heard Santana's breath hitch before the girl abruptly stood up.

"I'm just gonna grab another cookie, so… hum… yeah…" The raven-haired girl fast walked toward the kitchen.

"San, wait." The Broadway star gently grabbed her by the elbow to stop her. "Are you okay? Did I say or do something wrong?"

Santana sighed and looked at the ceiling. That was when she noticed they were beneath the mistletoe. "Great…"

Rachel frowned, following her friend's sight. "Oh…" She was about to say something when she felt Santana's lips on hers. She instinctively closed her eyes. A feeling of déjà vu dawn on her before another flashback hit her.

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

 _'_ _After finishing their last bottle of wine, the girls moved to Rachel's room. They lay on the bed and kept talking about nothing and everything._

 _Suddenly Rachel stated. "I want to get married and have kids too, you know. I want 2, I think it's the right number." She drunkenly nodded to herself._

 _"_ _Oh my god, Berry, are you back on a conversation we had hours ago? Wait, why 2?" Santana asked._

 _"_ _Because I was an only child and it was lonely sometimes so I want my child to have a sibling but 3 is too much, not just for me to handle but also because there is always one who feels left out…" The diva explained._

 _The Latina stayed silent for a few minutes before blurting out. "I'm scared to end up alone too… Sometimes, I wish I could see the future to know that everything will be okay…"_

 _The brunette reached for her friend's hand and squeezed it. "You won't, and you want to know why? Because behind this bitchy persona you show to the world is a wonderful and sweet woman who deserves happiness."_

 _"_ _You know what, Rachel? You're not so bad after all." The tan girl confessed. "We make a good team of desperate women. I'll come back to you in a few years and tell you how it all went, okay. And if I'm still single, I'll burn a few of your playbills."_

 _The Jewish girl gasped. "You won't do such a thing, Santana Lopez!" She fell silent until an idea came into her mind. Her eyes went wide before a huge smile graced her face. "Wait, that's a wonderful idea!"_

 _"_ _What?" The taller girl asked confused._

 _"_ _Meeting each other again in a few years!" Rachel explained._

 _The raven-haired frowned. "What are you talking about?"_

 _"_ _We should make a pact!" The diva declared happily._

 _"_ _Oh no…" Santana shook her head. "Making a pact with you is a terrible idea."_

 _The brunette sat up to face her friend. "No wait, let me finish."_

 _The Latina rolled her eyes. "Fine…"_

 _"_ _We should make the pact that if we are still single by… I don't know, let's say 27, we should marry each other." The brunette smiled proudly._

 _The former cheerleader blinked before bursting out laughing. "Are you serious? You're drunk, Berry!"_

 _"_ _No, well yes, a little but that's not the point, I'm still serious about this." The petite girl insisted._

 _"_ _What makes you think it would work?" The raven-haired girl questioned. "And you're not even gay."_

 _The Jewish girl ignored her and kept explaining. "Just keep an open mind. You said I have a lot of great qualities that would make me a good and attentive partner. I have heard great things about you as a girlfriend and you are sweet, charming and loyal, at least when you want to. So you have the qualities required to be a loving wife…"_

 _"_ _Okay you're really crazy." Santana declared. "I'm taking back all the nice things I said."_

 _"_ _Santana, be serious." Rachel pouted._

 _"_ _Rachel, please, I'm sure you'll find a nice husband sooner than you think. And why 27, why not 30 or more?" The Latina inquired._

 _"_ _It fits my life plan." The diva answered matter-of-factly._

 _"_ _Okay, no, you're not crazy, you're insane!" The tan girl exclaimed as she sat up._

 _"_ _No but when I mean getting married, it's not right away." The brunette clarified. "But get together and after a couple years get married."_

 _The taller girl chuckled. "Oh my god, do I even have a say in this?"_

 _The petite girl smiled. "Just say, yes, Rachel Berry, I would love to marry you someday." She extended her hand to seal the deal._

 _The raven-haired girl laughed. She stared at Rachel then at her hand for a moment. "You're ridiculous…" She shook her head at the silliness of the situation. "But whatever, I'm sure we'll both have someone by then so the pact will be useless…"_

 _The Jewish girl grinned. "Is that a yes?"_

 _"_ _Yes, Rachel Berry, I would love to marry you someday even though it will never happen." Santana shook Rachel's hand before laughing again. "I think after that, we should call it a night. I'm gonna get ready for bed, you should too." She stood up and made her way toward the bathroom._

 _"_ _Yes, you're right." Rachel followed her but stopped the girl when she stepped underneath the mistletoe._

 _"_ _What? What's wrong?" The Latina asked. The brunette simply pointed at the mistletoe. "You can not be serious?" She chuckled._

 _"_ _It's the tradition." The diva replied as she turned her head to offer her cheek._

 _The tan girl smirked before cupping Rachel's cheek and kissing her on the lips. "Here, some Christmas gayness, Berry." She smacked the girl's ass and laughed as she headed to the bathroom.'_

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Rachel took a step back as soon as she focused back on the present.

Santana looked at her friend in panic. "Oh my god, Rachel, I'm sorry, I didn't want to…"

The diva touched her lips lightly. Everything made sense now. She had fallen in love with Santana a little bit that night and that was what opened up her sexuality. In her panic, she had shut it down and blocked everything out until she was ready to explore this side of herself. She looked at Santana with wide eyes.

"Rach, are you okay?" The Latina asked. "You're scaring me right now…"

The brunette felt a wave of panic rush over her and all she could think of was leave the apartment. She ran toward the door and grabbed her coat before going out.

"Rachel!" The raven-haired girl shouted as she ran after her. "Where are you going?"

"I can't, I'm sorry." The petite girl said as she kept walking, coat in hand.

The tan girl quickly caught her by the arm and stopped her. "Okay, just calm down. Let's go back inside and talk okay?"

"I…" The Broadway star started before crying.

Santana took the girl in her arms before leading her back inside the apartment. They both settled on the couch. "What's wrong?"

Rachel took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I remember everything…"

The Latina stared at her friend, confused. "What do you remember?"

"Everything, our Christmas night, the dinner with Kurt and his boyfriend, our talks, the pact, I remember everything!" The Jewish girl admitted.

The former cheerleader blinked. "Oh…"

"I even remember the kiss. And now…" The brunette trailed off.

"Now what?" The tan girl questioned softly.

"Now I feel confused and lost…" The diva mumbled.

"Why?"

"Because I enjoyed that kiss back then and I buried everything inside because I couldn't accept the way I felt about you…" The petite girl confessed.

"Oh…" Santana mumbled.

Rachel sniffled. "Could you say something else?"

The Latina sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "I need to tell you something…"

"Okay." The Broadway star wiped the tears away from her eyes.

"I… I've had a thing for you for a while now." The former cheerleader mumbled. "It started when we were roommates but I thought you were straight and I didn't want to be another experiment for one of my friends so I buried everything just like you. I moved on with my life but when the date of your 27th birthday approached, I thought about our pact. I know you weren't really serious but it was just the perfect opportunity to really reconnect with you. I checked on facebook and asked around if you were single. I called Kurt to get some news and he told me you'd be alone for Christmas so I thought it was my chance, you know, especially after I learned that you had dated girls in the past…"

"I…I don't know what to say." The diva admitted.

"You don't have to say anything." The raven-haired girl assured. "I just… I don't know… I wanted to get it off my chest, I guess…"

"Okay…"

The tan girl frowned. "Okay?"

"I just need a minute to process everything." The brunette took a deep breath, trying to calm her beating heart.

"Okay… Do you want me to leave you alone for a bit?" The former cheerleader asked unsure.

"No, I need you to stay here." The petite girl's mind was going a mile a minute, trying to figure out what to think or what to do. She grabbed Santana's hand as a way to keep her grounded, intertwining fingers with her. Maybe she already knew deep down when she made that pact that she liked Santana as more than a friend. Maybe her drunk self had dared to lift the barrier her sober self refused to. Maybe in a desperate way to stay connected to Santana, she had made this pact, hoping that later, when she was ready, they would find their way back to each other. She had noticed in the past, the way the Latina looked at her when she thought she wasn't looking; it had let her think she would have a chance. Maybe it was why her past relationships never worked, because she was waiting for Santana… She gasped as the realisation hit her like a brick wall.

"Are you okay?" The taller questioned concerned.

The Jewish girl bit her lip. "I think… I think I have feelings for you too."

Santana's eyes went wide in surprise. "You think?" Her voice trembled at the confession.

Rachel shook her head. "No."

"No, you don't have feelings for me?" The Latina frowned again.

"No, I mean, I don't think. I know. I think I've always known, I just didn't know what to do with them."

"Oh okay…" The raven-haired looked at their intertwined hands. "And now?"

Rachel smiled as she looked at the mistletoe then at Santana. She put a finger under the Latina's chin to force her to look at her. Her smile grew wider as she leaned to kiss Santana. "Merry Christmas, future Mrs. Berry-Lopez."


End file.
